


ice in place of answers (and a cold that chills the bones)

by Drhair76



Series: love like war [3]
Category: Now You See Me (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Danny Whump, F/M, Gen, M/M, Magical Realism, Merritt POV, Mild Hurt/Comfort, dylan rlly is like a papa or smth, idk i just like to hurt him :), me? expanding upon the eye? more likely than you think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25585438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drhair76/pseuds/Drhair76
Summary: Jack peeks around Henley, his eyes wide and nervous. And seeing that- the sharp warm colors of their worry- grounds him, gets him settled enough so he doesn't feel like he's drowning."Danny," He gets out. "It's Danny- something is wrong."or, Danny gets jumped on the way home
Relationships: J. Daniel Atlas & Merritt McKinney & Henley Reeves & Dylan Rhodes & Jack Wilder, J. Daniel Atlas/Merritt McKinney/Henley Reeves/Jack Wilder
Series: love like war [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805794
Comments: 5
Kudos: 85





	ice in place of answers (and a cold that chills the bones)

Merritt is getting himself a mug when he feels it. 

A sharp spike of pain, something cold like fear crowding through his chest and panic- cold and strong, pooling through him, freezing him from head to toe. The shock of it all makes Merritt drop the mug to the ground where it shatters to a million pieces. 

"Mer?" Jack's voice calls from the living room. "Are you alright?" 

Merritt can't answer, feeling choked by the fear and panic and sharp call for _help, please help-_

A hand lands on his shoulder and Henley's worried face swims into view. Merritt realizes that in his panic he had pressed his back to their fridge and slid down so he was sitting on the floor. 

"Merritt, what's wrong?" She asks, reaching a warm hand to cup his face. "Are you alright?" 

Jack peeks around Henley, his eyes wide and nervous. And seeing that- the sharp warm colors of their worry- grounds him, gets him settled enough so he doesn't feel like he's drowning. 

"Danny," He gets out. "It's Danny- something is _wrong_." 

….

Thank God for Henley- and Merritt feels like that's something he's said multiple times before and something that he _will_ say a lot more in their future- because she gets them both moving. 

She panics for about a second- frozen in fear, almost as if she could feel what Merritt was feeling- before snapping herself out of it. Her eyes blaze with a cold fire as she pulls Merritt to his feet. 

"He's hurt?" She asks, brushing the little ceramic bits off of Merritt's pants. Her voice was deadly serious- not even a peak of nerves showing through.

Merritt swallows thickly. "Yes, I- I can feel it-" It's a pulsing, a deep throbbing of _wrong wrong wrong_ in his gut. "-he wouldn't feel this way just running out to get groceries." 

Henley nods. Her fingers, still tangled into Merritt's shirt, tighten. 

"It's raining." Jack says suddenly. 

They both turned. 

Jack was facing the window, watching the dark overcast sky and the torrent of rain. He turns towards them at their silence and Merritt immediately noticed the way he was wringing his hands together to suppress the nervous light there. 

"Jack," Merritt starts, stepping over the glass and towards him. Jack's aura wavered, dipping into a dark mahogany and the sheer panic of it was almost too much to bear. 

Merritt falters because- _fuck-_ he could feel Danny's wild emotions from here and the fact that Merritt wasn't able to place a solid hand on him and calm him was screwing with Merritt more than he could express. 

It's been a long time since Merritt's been close enough to anyone to feel their emotions with such clarity- the last person he had this connection with was his brother. Over time and over their turbulent estrangement, those feelings faded. 

But Danny was as strong as ever, his presence curled stubbornly in Merritt's heart with Jack and Henley right behind him. 

Merritt didn't know how to comfort Jack when he couldn't even assure _himself._

Luckily, Henley swept up right after him, picking up where he couldn't. "We're going to find him Jack. We _will."_

….

The rain was rough to navigate through.

It was coming down hard and heavy; the kind of weather that couldn't be disrupted by anything, not even the wind. 

At first Henley was leading, tugging them both out of the apartment with a determined set to her jaw, but Merritt took to the front when he realized how overcast it was.

lt was so gloomy out that they could miss him even if he was right under their noses. And Merritt couldn't stand to take that chance.

Fortunately, _Merritt_ could still see him- well, less seeing, more feeling around for him. It was sort of like an extremely intense game of hot and cold except with each step closer to Danny, the horrible feelings crowding around in Merritt's chest clarify. 

"Do you feel him?" Henley yells from somewhere off behind him. When they first ventured out into the storm, the rain sizzled when it hit her skin, but it seemed that she had cooled since then- most likely against her will. "Are we closer?" 

"Yeah," Merritt yells back, his voice tight. Danny's frantic panic ebbed a little, so the only thing Merritt could zero in on was his blooming pain. "I- I think he's in one of these alleyways up ahead!" 

Merritt's breathing stutters a bit as a fresh wave of pain washes over him and he almost loses himself in it- in the swirling storm of _bad bad bad_ and the sharp painful drops of Danny's rain on his skin- until there's a pop and a spark and then suddenly Jack's hand is slipping into Merritt's. 

And Jack's hand has lost its usual warmth from the cold air and rain, and his nails are biting into Merritt's skin but even _still_ Merritt couldn't be more grateful for it. 

He can feel a migraine coming on- a low pressure between his eyes- but he can't bring himself to care. _Danny_ is what matters right now. _Danny_ is in pain. _Danny_ is relying on them to find him. 

The tiny threat of Merritt's possible migraine is nothing in comparison. 

Suddenly Merritt pauses, making both Jack and Henley stop with him. 

Something in him is yelling out- _Danny, here, he's here, he's close._

"This alley." Merritt says, turning, blinking rain from his eyes. "He's here." 

Henley doesn't even bother questioning him. She simply takes off down the alley fisting her hands into their shirts to pull them with her. 

Everything is just a little hard to process in that moment- Henley's yelling Danny's name and they can only see by way of the lightning that flashes every once in a while and Merritt has a pounding headache but it doesn't _matter_ because if _anything_ happens to Danny he's going to- 

And then they see him. 

Horror and anger and disgust well up in Merritt, so clear and thick and dark that it could only be his. 

Danny, _their Danny,_ is laying there curled on his side, the bag of groceries that he was supposed to get strewn out on the concrete near his head. His aura, which had been like a bright electric flare ever since that first strike of pain in their kitchen, was now so dim and deep blue that it was almost black. 

Jack instantly drops to his knees and Merritt would've winced in sympathy for them if he hadn't followed right behind him. 

"Danny," Jack says frantically, his hands hovering over Danny's prone body. They were glowing like lanterns and in the light suddenly his face was visible. 

The busted lip and the black eye and- 

"He got _jumped_." Henley says, and it sounds like a roar. It sounds like every bit of pain and anger and despair that she's ever felt is wrapped in those three words. 

Despite her furious tone, she reaches down with gentle hands. She curls her hands under his shoulders to prop him up. 

His eyelids flutter, cracking open slightly. "H'n?" He slurs, his head lolling. "Wha- Wha'-" 

"Relax Danny." Merritt cuts in, his voice steadier than he feels. He pushes Danny's hair back from where it's plastered to his forehead. "You're- you're safe now." 

Danny immediately calms and quiets, only letting out a tiny groan of pain. 

Jack, who had been hovering on Danny's other side, moves to cup Danny's cheek at the sound. "We've got you Danny- we're here. Nothing is going to happen to you now." 

Merritt keeps his eyes on the little of Danny's skin that's unblemished as he helps Henley lift him to his feet. He can't make himself look at Danny's blackening eye or the blood smeared on his lip. He focuses all of his energy into keeping Danny calm, into getting them all home. 

Everything else can wait. 

.…

Getting back to their apartment was a million times easier for them. Now that Danny was safe under their hands, their panic ebbed and the rain started to clear. 

But Danny was still leaning heavily against Jack- in fact, Jack and Merritt had to practically carry him up the stairs and into the apartment. They carefully laid him out as comfortably as possible on their living room couch. 

Once Danny was in their home, safe, and Merritt could physically see Danny's chest rising and falling steadily, he could finally relax. The fear that had been driving him to hyperfocus on Danny's dim aura had fallen away, leaving Merritt more exhausted than he could ever remember feeling. 

He's vaguely aware of the way Jack is clenching and unclenching his fists, breathing harshly the whole while. Jack's aura is a bright, burning red- so hot with anger that it's almost painful to be beside- but Merritt doesn't reach out to calm him because he understands. 

Distantly, Merritt can feel that same churning, teeth gnashing, jaw clenching fury in himself. It's like a low burning fire that grows with every moment he spends thinking- _they hurt Danny, they hurt him-_

Merritt couldn't calm Jack even if he wanted to. 

Henley, who must've ducked out when they weren't paying attention, returns with an armful of towels and clothes. 

Without hesitation, she shoves the bundle of cloth into Jack's arms. "Dry you and him off for me?" 

It's phrased like a question but her tone brokers no argument. A flash of gratitude came over Jack at having been given something to focus on and he immediately sets to work. 

"Can I talk to you Mer?" She asks, tilting her head towards the kitchen. Merritt follows her without question. 

It was weird to be back in their kitchen to say the least. It felt like a lifetime ago that Merritt was slammed in the gut with Danny's blinding panic and call for _help, please, help._ Judging by the way Henley pauses and blinks at the cracked pieces of mug still on the floor, she feels the same. 

"What I assumed happened," Henley starts, once she shakes herself a little, "is that as much as we have fans for our acts, we also have...critics." 

Merritt takes a breath. "There's also the possibility that they figured Danny wasn't like them." 

Henley's lips twitch. "In which way? In the fact that he's dating three people or that he's genuinely magic?" 

"Yeah." 

Henley inhales and then blows out a breath. She tucks her arms around herself and it's at that point that Merritt realizes she's shivering. 

"We need to call Dylan." She says. 

Merritt nods, his eyes still on her shaking shoulders. "Okay." He reaches out to place two gentle hands on her cold shoulders. He has the vague thought that Henley and _cold_ don't belong in the same stratosphere as one another, let alone the same _sentence._

"I'll call Dylan. You go and warm up. This must've been torture for You- I don't even know how you went out into that rain." 

Henley smiles weakly, untucking her arms and reaching up to place her hands over Merritt's. 

"It's Danny." She says. 

She gives a little shrug, as if that's all the explanation really needed. And honestly, for Merritt? It is. 

….

While Henley dries off, Merritt calls Dylan. 

The call only takes ten minutes but Merritt hangs up feeling satisfied that Dylan knows it's an emergency and that he'll be over as soon as he can. Afterward, he makes his way back to Jack and Danny. 

Merritt stops short when he sees what's going on in the living room. 

Jack, quiet and dim, kneels on the floor by Danny. He's gently carding a hand through Danny's damp hair, his face pinched and drawn. 

Merritt frowns a little, because Jack's aura is still glowing with a fierce red light, betraying the emotions that his face isn't; _pain, love, fear_. Yet, despite the almost overwhelming amount of emotion pouring off him, Jack's hands stay lightning free. 

He wasn't sparking or glowing or buzzing with nerves- he was just sitting there dutifully brushing a hand through Danny's hair. 

It's quiet for a moment before Jack opens his mouth.

"I guess we can't let you go anywhere anymore huh?" He sounds choked up and in pain. As if he was the one who got caught in the alley by magic antagonists. "Mr. hotshot with all the fans and attention- and you try to say that I'm the stage hog." 

Jack laughs but the sound is more broken than anything.

Merritt watches as he wavers for a moment before finally leaning his head against Danny's chest- ear right over his heart. Now Merritt can only see the back of Jack's head, but judging by the sudden pulse of sadness, Jack must be watching Danny's bruised face with large sorrowful eyes. 

Jack, obviously not feeling close enough to Danny, reaches out and intertwines their fingers. In his sleep, Danny's hand twitches. 

When Jack continues speaking, his voice is soft but firm. "This isn't going to happen ever again alright? Not- not while I'm here. It just won't. You're ours and- and no one is going to hurt you again." 

He falls silent, just leaning on Danny, looking small and tired and that sight- of the two of them sitting together in quiet pain- is what makes Merritt finally decide to sweep into the room. Upon hearing him, Jack tenses slightly but doesn't move. Merritt takes that as an invitation to sit down on the floor next to him, close but not touching. 

"I called Dylan. He's on his way." 

Jack doesn't reply, just lifting his head from Danny's chest and swaying into Merritt's space. Merritt doesn't hesitate to offer a steady, comforting hand. 

"He's going to be okay." Merritt says, willing away Jack's fear. "We're gonna make sure of it." 

Jack makes a noise, nodding once before leaning over so his head is tucked into Merritt's neck. 

….

A little while later, Henley walks into the room. Merritt sees her pause and watch them for a full minute before carefully creeping over. 

Merritt lifts an arm and Henley doesn't hesitate to fit herself against his other side. 

…. 

Merritt jerks awake at the firm knock at the door.

It was still night, the only light coming from the moon from outside their living room window. Whoever's outside of their door knocks again and this time Merritt has to gently shake Henley and Jack awake so he can go answer the door. 

They let him up without complaint, Jack immediately turning to check on Danny, who's stirring, and Henley fumbling for the light. 

Merritt can tell that it's Dylan before he even opens the door- his aura, bright green and full of stress, shines through the cracks. 

He opens it and almost jerks backward. 

There's fog billowing around him and the sharp smell of sea salt in the air; Dylan's magic basically tangible. 

"Merritt," He says, blinking, "Where is-" 

From behind Merritt, Danny calls, his voice groggy. "I'm here." 

Merritt lets Dylan in and as he brushes by the fog condenses into shivering water droplets. His magic is so charged that Merritt is honestly surprised that he was able to make it all the way here without being seen. 

Dylan crouches in front of Danny, who's blinking sleep away and half wincing from the pain of his bruises. They've only darkened since they first found him, making him look like he's lost a week's work of sleep. 

Or like he got jumped in an alleyway but Merritt doesn't like to think too hard about that. 

"What happened?" Dylan asks, his eyes scanning Danny's face. 

Danny shifts, shivering a bit. Henley scoots closer, curling an arm around his lower back. He smiles at her, soft and sweet, before starting to recount it- how he was walking home with groceries, how they must've seen him on the way there because they had been waiting for him and caught him by surprise. 

They of course had the upper hand because there were two of them but Danny gave as well as he could, revealing his hand- which is when the rain started- until he was overtaken. 

At the end of it all, Dylan nods once, looking worried and grim. "You're in pain." 

Daniel doesn't answer, just makes an noncommittal noise. 

Merritt glares, eyeing the dark streaks of pain in Danny's aura. "Uh, yeah he is." 

Danny looks over to him then quickly looks away because he's right and Danny _knows_ he's right. 

Dylan frowns then reaches out, clasping Danny's shoulder. Danny winces and his aura darkens significantly but after a second it clears up. 

"Better?" Dylan asks. 

Danny blinks. "Actually, yeah. What-" 

Dylan half smiles. "I learned to widen my magic so I wasn't stuck in one particular hole, for lack of a better phrase." 

"Holy shit." 

"Wait so," Henley throws up a hand, "Would the Eye help us do that?" 

Dylan nods his affirmation and Jack bumps Merritt's side, shocking him briefly. 

"So _theoretically_ ," He starts, "I could learn Merritt's magic?" 

"Why are you so obsessed with my magic?" 

"It's _cool."_ Jack defends and the only reason Merritt doesn't push for a real answer is because Jack's aura is dancing in a way it hasn't since last night. 

"Well, it all depends on whether you can actually harness that type of magic." Dylan cuts in, drawing their attention again. "Element based magic- which is what you three can do, is something that takes years to master. Seeing auras usually comes naturally, with birth."

"Ah," Jack says, sounding disappointed. 

"That's still cool." Danny says. "Imagine how much better our shows would be if we had a wider array of magic to choose from?" 

"No shows until we figure this all out." Henley says firmly. 

Dylan nods. "She's right. Honestly, the best I can do right now is to get someone I know to give you a bit of a cushion? Sort of like a shield to keep things like this from happening again." 

"Yes," Jack speaks up, sounding more serious than before, "Not having that happen again would be great." 

He actively avoids Danny's searching gaze and Merritt thinks back to a couple of hours ago, thinks back to _and no one is going to hurt you ever again._

"This type of stuff happens all the time." Dylan sighs. "Which is why organizations like the Eye are so important." 

"Teaching magicians so they can better protect themselves." Henley hums. 

"And also," Merritt says, grinning. "stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. That's important too." 

Dylan laughs, his aura turning vibrant. "Yeah, that too." 

….

Dylan stays for a little while- and the longer he stays the more that Danny's bruises fade- but eventually he has to head back. He promises that he's going to stay in touch and advises that they all keep together for at least until he gets the shield put in place. 

When he leaves though, everyone's attention immediately collapses onto Danny. 

Jack folds into his side saying, _no more late night grocery shopping, this isn't happening ever again,_ and Henley's on his other side, bunching her warm hands into Danny's sweatshirt, saying, _how do you feel? Did Dylan help? I hoped he would-_ but Danny's eyes are fixed on Merritt. 

Danny kisses Jack and soothes Henley and then he stands, pulling away from them. 

"Danny-" Merritt starts, then stops. He doesn't know how to explain how it felt to experience Danny's pain and be unable to help. 

Danny's face twists weirdly, making the shadows on his face stand out. For a moment, Merritt thinks he's going to say something but then he's pressing himself into Merritt's arms without a word. 

Merritt goes tense for a half a second before allowing Danny's humming aura- _safe, warm, happy, loved-_ to envelope him in a way he didn't know he needed. 

"Thank you for looking for me." He mutters against Merritt's shirt. "I really appreciate it." 

Merritt peaks over to Henley and Jack, who are holding hands and watching them with soft looks. Their auras- _thankful, happy, relieved, loved-_ are glowing bright. 

"Of course," Merritt says, "I mean- it's you." 

At that Danny just squeezes tighter, hopefully hearing the words that Merritt isn't saying. 

**Author's Note:**

> should we add lula in next? I think we'll add lula in next :)


End file.
